RWBYond Human
by mediaocrity4
Summary: "I don't know what it means to be human. Can someone help me?" The prequel story of Adam Tauros and how he became who he is. Head canonical level of Adam x Blake. Raven is Adam's mentor.
1. Chapter 1

RWBYond Human

 **AN: New week new story. Thank God Adam isn't real because he'd probably be pissed that this story got postponed three times. It was originally going to be the first anthology story, then Jaune and his sisters, then Cinder's. But we're here now. I'm a bit worried that this is going to be too similar to RWBYond Destiny, but we'll see.**

Chapter 1: I Don't

Adam had always had a rough life. Even now that the war was over, Faunas weren't exactly treated fairly. Adam didn't really understand why. He was only five years old. All he knew is that his mother had died in a hospital in Vacuo towards the end of the war. His father had died shortly before then. So, five-year-old Adam was technically on his own. But he wasn't alone. A few members of the White Fang organization looked after him. He didn't live with the Belladonnas, but if he was ever starving, or desperate for a bath and a warm bed, they were always there to help. In the meantime, he lived on the streets.

Adam kept to himself. He rarely interacted with people, especially humans. He could take care of himself well enough. He knew he couldn't rely on the Belladonnas' help, especially with a new born baby in the house. Even though Blake was turning two soon. They had their own problems, he had no right to become a burden to them.

Today was different. Today he wanted that delicious loaf of bread. It was an impulse really, and Adam was regretting it. The sun had barely begun to rise and he was being chased by a pair of people. They weren't very old, they looked younger than the adults. They had seen him swipe the loaf of bread and decided to give chase. One of them had some sort of collapsed weapon strapped to his hip.

Adam's heart was racing faster than his feet. He turned down an ally but the one with the weapon cut him off and punched him in the stomach. Adam tried getting up only to be kicked down from behind by the other guy.

"What do we have here?" The guy said. He was wearing a yellow shirt and jeans. He took his weapon out and unfolded it, revealing it to be a bat. Two more appeared from around the corner. They leaned against the ally walls while the other two stayed close to Adam.

"A little thief." The other one, who was wearing red, said. He grabbed Adam by the hair. "Horns? He's a Faunas."

"Typical." The one with the bat rammed the blunt end of his weapon into Adam's gut and the other punched him. "Why don't you go back to Menagerie where you belong?"

"You Faunas are nothing but trouble." Said Red-Shirt.

"You may have won your little battle for independence, but look around you, you've been nothing but a burden to us ever since." Yellow-Shirt said.

"Screw you!" Adam punched him in the face, but his fist was deflected by a flash of light.

"Give it up kid. We're second year students at Haven Academy. Try all you like but we're stronger than you." He slapped Adam across the face. Adam tossed him the bread.

"Take it and leave me alone." Adam said, wiping blood from his mouth.

"You think giving it back will change anything. You've already infected it with your stench." Red-Shirt said.

"If we leave you alone you'll probably steal again." Yellow-Shirt said. "So we're going to make sure you never think about stealing again." Adam's eyes went wide at the threat.

"Two grown men, beating up a toddler." A voice said. In an instant the two that had stayed silent were kicked into a pile of trash and thrown into a wall. "You're a disgrace to your profession." She moved like a blur and kicked the yellow shirt guy in the chin. She had a large, what appeared to be a sheath strapped to her hip. "Then again…" She smashed the sheath into the red shirt guy's face, forcing him to let Adam go. "Huntsmen really have been scraping the bottom of the barrel lately." The one that had picked up the bread took a swing at her, but he was kicked in the stomach. The woman caught the bread as it left the man's hand. "And second years? I think it's time for Venice Azul to call the headmaster business quits."

"Listen toots." The yellow shirt guy stood up and pointed his bat at her. Now that she was standing still Adam could see her. She wore a red outfit and had feathery black hair that drifted down her back. Her face was obscured by an elaborate mask.

"Come again?" She sounded irritated.

"We were just doing our job. The police would have done the same."

"I don't recall beating a defenseless child to be the huntsmen's job. Leave that to the parents."

"Listen, I usually wouldn't be so easy to forgive someone that ruffed up my team."

"Oh, this'll be good."

"But there's four of us and one of you."

"Bring four to ten more and we'll make it a challenge."

"Shut your cocky mouth!" He swung his bat at her. Whatever happened next, happened in an instant.

"It is WAY too early for this shit." She said. In the blink of an eye she had moved forward several feet. A sword chinked back into place in its sheath. The bat clanged to the ground. The man dropped to his knees. A small line of blood went from him to the ally wall.

"You bitch. You cut my thumb off."

"If you hurry you can get it reattached." The woman said condescendingly.

"How…how did you do it? My aura was still in the green."

"Well then what a pathetic excuse for an aura you must have. Against a real man that wouldn't have even been a paper cut." The other three jumped her. They tried punching and kicking her but she didn't move. In fact, she yawned. With just a few quick strikes they were down on the ground. "Better get going if you ever want your thumb back."

The four people scrambled back up and made a run for it. The woman looked at Adam, or at least Adam was sure she was looking at him. She flipped him a few credits and gave a sigh. She then turned and walked away.

"Thank you." Adam said.

"No problem." The woman waved without turning back.

"Are you a Faunas?"

"Nope." She stopped and turned to him. "What gave you that impression?"

"Only other Faunas have ever helped me."

"Well then, sucks to be you. There's plenty of good people if you know where to look." She kept walking and Adam followed after her.

"Can you teach me how to do all that."

"No."

"But I want to be strong."

"Then when you're old enough, join a combat school."

"But I don't want to be like them. I want to be as strong as you."

"Flattery won't work kid. How old are you anyway? Four? Five?"

"I'm five." Adam was struggling to keep up with her long strides. "I want to be as strong as you."

"Then do as I already told you. It worked for me."

"I'm not willing to take that chance."

"Go. Home. You. Stupid. Brat."

"I don't have a home, or a family. How can I hope to be strong unless I stick with someone like you?"

"Oh no you don't." She turned around. Adam looked at her pleadingly. "I am not about to be guilt tripped by some stranger. If I wanted to spend time with a kid, I'd go back home and deal with that insufferable lot."

"You don't have to take me in or anything. I can take care of myself. I just want you to train me." He bowed respectfully to her. She muttered something under her breath, something about summer, odd because it was fall.

"Why do you want to get stronger little boy?" She said through her teeth.

"So that I don't have to worry about bullies anymore." Adam said.

"God…damn it." She muttered. "What's your name?"

"Adam Taurus." He said.

"A Grimm surname? That's a bit demeaning. Well from one Grimm name to another, you can simply call me Nevermore."

"Thank you Ms. Nevermore."

"Damn it, don't call me Ms." She started rubbing her temples. "I'll train you, but on my time." She knelt down in front of him. He could see her eyes now, peering from the four little slots, they were red, just like his. She handed him a pendant that looked like a horseshoe. "Go to the north gate of Haven Arena every day at noon. Somedays I'll be there, most days I won't. That's where we'll do your training."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. I've never trained anyone, and the only way I know how is hell."

"I'm not afraid."

"You will be." They walked into a restaurant. "I suppose sense you followed me this far, might as well have company for breakfast."

"Ah, Arbiter Nevermore." The waiter said. "Right this way." He led her to a room with a long table. "The usual accommodations for you and your son."

"He's not my son." Nevermore cleared up.

"But I thought, with the eyes…"

"Just a coincidence. He's a kid I decided to help out of the kindness of my heart." Nevermore took a seat. "Coffee, black, and some bagels."

"Of course Nevermore." The waiter said. "And you, young man?"

"I'll have waffles and a glass of milk." He said.

"Bring us both some eggs and bacon as well." Nevermore said.

"Of course. I suppose all of this will be paid for by your group account?"

"As always. I have a feeling my boss will be ecstatic that I've picked up a potential pupil." The waiter scurried off. Nevermore removed her mask, confirming Adam's suspicions. Not only were her eyes red, but her face was white as snow. She was the most beautiful woman Adam had ever seen. She didn't look any older than Mrs. Belladonna.

"So…you're first names Arbiter?" Adam asked.

"No, that's just my job title. Nevermore's not my real name either. But that's not your business."

"And…your boss…he's not going to be mad…is he?"

"Nope. I was not being sarcastic with that response. He actually encourages us having pupils to train in our free time. Says they make good potential future Arbiters. At least two of my associates were at some point trained by a previous Arbiter."

"Were you?"

"No." The waiter came in with her coffee and a glass of milk for Adam before scurrying back away. "In fact, I've only known about their existence for a few years now."

"What are they like?"

"That's not my secret to tell." Nevermore took a sip of her coffee. "I'm not about to tell a stranger anything about my personal life or my profession. All you need to know is that it keeps me really busy and despite that, they encourage taking students. That's the only reason why you're here."

"Then why were you so mean earlier."

"Because you are five." She took a bite from a bagel. "I still have my apprehensions for training someone as young as you."

"I understand." He took a drink of his milk. "If I were older I wouldn't be such a burden…right?"

"You'd certainly be easier to push right into things."

"Like I'd be ready to take whatever you throw at me."

"That's right. You're so young I'll have to take it easy."

"I promise; it won't be that way forever."

"For your sake, it better not last more than a year."

 **An: Sarcastic and condescending Raven is my favorite Raven. The big question is; how do I make Adam sympathetic. At least with RWBYond Destiny, I laid the ground works of Cinder being sympathetic in the chapters featuring her in RWBYond Vale. Adam, is actually easier because keep in mind, Blake did look up to him at one point. So the majority of this story will be the Adam Blake loved. Also, the irony of this story, the origins of a terrorist, starting on 9/11, is not lost on me. Please Review, Follow and Favorite.**


	2. Chapter 2

RWBYond Human

 **AN: In my personal opinion, I think last chapter was a bit sloppy with its actual story telling. I really want Adam to be sympathetic, but also really despicable later on, without this just being a rehash of RWByond Destiny. Which is really hard with all the other university work I'm doing plus how excited I am for a character I made up for a later story.**

Chapter 2: Know What

Adam sat on the fencepost in the small village, staring at the Redstone trinket Nevermore had given him all those years ago. Five years have passed since their first meeting. Adam kept his promise when he could. But circumstances changed, he could no longer stay in Haven. He was traveling with the White Fang. It hadn't interrupted his training as much as he thought it would. So long as he sat in the northern edge of wherever he was, at noon as she had specified, she would be able to find him.

Somedays she came. Most days she didn't. When she did, Adam would spend days at a time getting the snot beat out of him during spars. He was getting stronger, he had his aura unlocked. He had found that his skills were physical. Speed, strength, agility, coordination, that is where his abilities lay. Which made Nevermore all the better teacher.

"Adam, Adam, what are you doing?" Blake clamored towards him. She was the daughter of the Belladonnas, the same family that had oftentimes helped him when they lived in Haven. Now, they were travelers. They were higher ups within the White Fang and helped lead every major rally around Remnant. The White Fang had become a global phenomenon. Their leader, Noah, had become one of the most talked about men in the world.

"Just seeing if Master is coming today." Adam answered. He was fond of the six-year-old and it was clear she looked up to him. Even at ten years old, Adam was well respected by the adults in the White Fang. Blake often hung on his back, asking him if he learned anything cool. So Adam did his best to describe Nevermore's teachings to her.

"Is she?" Blake asked.

"No." Adam answered. It was well past noon. If she was going to be here she would already be there.

"Oh, ok." Blake pulled something from her bag. "Then, can you read me this book?" She pulled out a book, it was called Silver Saviors. It looked to be a fairy tale book. There were illustrations of a dozen faces, all brandishing weapons.

"You know how to read." Adam said. He wasn't in the mood. "Read it yourself." He always hated the days when Nevermore didn't show up. His progress these last five years had been unbearable slow.

"But I like it when you read things to me." Blake pouted.

"I only read you that one story that one time." Adam shot back. He looked down and saw that Blake was a little downtrodden. "Blake, why don't we go fishing by the pond instead?" Blake's eyes lit up.

"Really?" She asked.

"Why not?" Adam went back to his tent to grab a fishing pole. A few minutes later, he met up with Blake at the stream. There were a few other Faunas there who were fishing. Mistral was basically covered in swamps, ponds, and other still bodies of water. It was any wonder that the Azul family had been regarded as the strongest family in Mistral for generations.

After setting the fishing poles up and casting them into the water, Blake pulled out her book and began reading. Adam sat with his legs crossed as he watched the bobbers gently wade in the water. He quickly got bored and went to the edge of the clearing. He found a nice big stick to take some practice swings. Nevermore had told him he was a natural fit for swords, and in just a few years he'd be able to design his own weapon.

"What are you doing." Blake asked without looking up from her book.

"Might as well keep up with my katas." Adam answered. He got in his stance, he was determined to mirror Nevermore's fighting style. Without her though, there was no one to compare it to. He wasn't really good at seeing how much his speed or strength had improved and in all reality, it would be another two or so years before his body would have developed enough for that to matter.

One thing he could work on was aura. He didn't know what his semblance was, so he had to resign himself to stay with the basics. Aura was amazing. Nevermore had told him that it can protect clothes, hair, tools, anything you want. The stronger the material, the less aura is required to protect it. So hypothetically, with enough aura, a stick could match a blade. Hypothetically, a sword could cut through a mountain. Only, it wasn't hypothetical, Nevermore could do it.

"I think I got one." One of the Faunas said. Whatever it was, it was large. Adam walked over to the older man to see if he could spot the fish. It looked like a catfish as it started breaking the threshold of the water. "Come to papa." The man said.

Just then a Grimm alligator snatched the fish from the line and made its way to the shore. Everyone backed away as it leaped from the water. The fisherman wasn't so lucky as the sarcosuchus bit his arm off.

"Adam!" Blake screamed.

"Get away Blake." Blake turned tail and ran upon Adam's orders. Adam ran towards the monster but was batted away. He managed to distract it enough for some of the others to get the wounded fisherman away.

"You get out of here too kid." One of them said. Adam didn't listen. He swung his makeshift weapon at the Grimm but it bounced off the tough scales. It seemed much more fixated on the screams of pain and terror coming from the others. It ran towards the adults and Adam gave chase. As it opened its jaws to swallow a man whole, Adam channeled his aura into his legs and leaped in the air.

He landed on the monster's snout, forcing its maw to close prematurely. He did a flip off its head, which would have looked totally badass if he stuck the landing. A couple people started beating the beast's head with fishing poles, tackle boxes, anything.

Adam got up only to be knocked back down by the waddling monster. One of the people wrapped a net around its jaw to keep it from opening it up. The beast ran forward and hit Adam like a spear. He could feel his aura draining, but he could also feel a power welling up inside him.

"Woah, your hair is glowing." Someone said. Adam pushed himself forward as the beast ran at him again. Adam was in the midst of a pure adolescent rage. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second before getting in his basic stance. This monster had ruined his day. Not only was he unable to train, not only was he unable to enjoy fishing, but he was forced to send Blake running scared.

He gave a mighty swing, right as the sarcosuchus was in range. The stick splintered into pieces. The armor around the monster's head cracked. It was sent backwards and landed with its stomach facing up. Adam took the splintered piece of wood and jammed it into the monster's gut repeatedly until it completely disappeared.

"Adam." Noah's voice said. The old simian Faunas grabbed his hand as he kept stabbing the ground. "You did good." Adam blinked his eyes in disbelief. Sarcosuchus were pretty strong Grimm. Much stronger than a kappa. Adam had killed it. He looked around at the thankful fishermen and other members of the White Fang. Blake was standing between Noah and her parents. "Now tell me, where did you learn to do that?"

"He has a master who teaches him fight stuff sometimes." Blake answered. Adam shook his head to confirm.

"Who is this man?" Noah asked.

"She…isn't you're concern."

"Any Faunas that is willing to train someone as young as you…"

"She's not a Faunas…and she has her own job."

"A huntress then?"

"I…" Adam didn't actually know. She certainly didn't act like the other huntsmen that Adam had met. She was better than those bullies from all those years ago, but she wasn't anything like April Odell or Headmaster Ozpin either. She never said she was a huntress, but she never said she wasn't either. "I don't actually know. She certainly fights like one. But she's not like any other huntsman or huntress I've heard about."

"Huntsmen are as diverse a group as they come." Noah explained. "Some are heroes, worthy of being praised in song for a thousand years. The kindest most noble warriors in all of history. Others are glorified mercenaries who use their license for nothing more than money. I too have at least dabbled in huntsmen training."

"You have?" Adam asked.

"Enough to where I don't need to worry about any old beowolf. Huntsmen, first and foremost, help fight the Grimm and protect the borders and villages within all the kingdoms. My calling is not against the Grimm; it is against the injustice that is in the city. A huntsman protects the borders of the city; they can't be around to protect the persecuted within the city itself. They protect us from monsters. But it is up to us, people willing to do the right thing, to protect us from ourselves."

"We should get this man to the hospital." Mrs. Belladonna said.

"I'm not sure that would help." Mr. Belladonna said. "Nearest hospital is miles away. And there's no guarantee that they'll take an old Faunas with a wound like that."

"But they have to papa." Blake tugged on his pants.

"That's a bitter reality." He said as he wrapped the fisherman's wound. "They don't…and many of them won't. It's just one of the things we're trying to change."

Adam tried to take it all in. The Grimm, the Faunas, the Kingdoms, the Huntsmen, it was a lot. Adam didn't understand all of it. But he did know one thing. He was angrier at the idea that a doctor wouldn't treat a Faunas, than he ever was at the Grimm.

 **An: It's my prediction that this'll turn out shorter than any of the other seven chapter stories I have planned. There's not as much ground I can tread and not as much interest, neither from the people on this site, nor from me. Don't worry, I'll see this through, but I can't wait for this to be over so that I can get started on my next story. Speaking of which, the next chapter for this is actually my favorite for a lot of reasons. Please REVIEW, follow and favorite.**


	3. Chapter 3

RWBYond Human

 **AN: Thank you to the people who read this. Apparently Adam stories aren't very popular, something about him being the most hated character in the series…weird huh. This chapter is going to be a little more interesting. Also, rewarding for those who read my other stories.**

Chapter 3: It Means

Adam ran into the room where the Belladonnas were. Blake was sniffling over by her father, a bandage wrapped around his head. Ms. Belladonna was rubbing Blake on the shoulders. Adam squeezed his fist shut. The White Fang had been protesting the new Atlas flagship, built by using mistreated Faunas labor.

"What happened?" Adam shot out.

"Adam…" Ms. Belladonna said. "Please stay calm."

"NO!" He shouted. "What the hell happened?"

"There were people who pushed back against us." Mr. Belladonna said. "Push went to shove turned into fists and rocks flying." When Adam heard this he stomped off.

"Adam." Blake said running towards him. She took the little trick bow her mother used for her stage illusions and tied it around her cat ears.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm coming with you." She said. "I saw the men who attacked my dad."

"So what's the bow for?"

"I think they'll treat us like normal if they don't know we're Faunas." She grabbed a ball cap and tossed it to Adam.

"Isn't that cowardly?"

"There's a difference between cowardly and smart." The nine-year-old said. Adam nodded approvingly.

"By the way…" Adam dug into his bag. There was a reason why he wasn't at the rally today, or the last few days. He, just made his very own weapon.

"Cool." Blake smiled as Adam twirled Wilt and Blush around.

"I wanted to have something like Nevermore's sword." Adam said. "But my semblance benefits up close action. So my sword is shorter. It also replaces her dust chamber with a gun because I'm not all that good with dust."

"I think you're pretty good." Blake said with a smile.

Adam and Blake walked into town. The people they were looking for were sitting in a club. Adam and Blake sneaked around the back and snuck through the back door. The music was playing really loud and it was crowded.

"We're never going to find them in here." Adam said. He and Blake walked back out and waited across the street instead. He and Blake got some tea at the restaurant across the street. Adam was fidgeting around a bit but Blake was calm as can be.

"There they are." Blake said nodding. About an hour had passed. Unsurprisingly the two guys were drunk. But they were also being pulled out by the collar by two other people. Adam stood up as the pair quietly followed the group into the aly. They stayed around the corner.

"Are you sure it's them?" Adam asked.

"The one with the bald head is the one that punched my dad." Blake clarified. "The big lug is the one threw rocks."

"And the other two?" Adam asked.

"Never seen them before." She said. One had slick red hair and the other was a short guy with a trimmed beard.

"Didn't I specifically tell you to keep a low profile?" The redhead slammed the bald one into the wall by his collar and lifted him into the air.

"It was just some filthy Faunas." Baldy said.

"Just some…do you have ANY idea what's hunting us?" Red said as he punched Baldy in the face.

"Do you?" Baldy retorted.

"No but it has the boss spooked. Boss gets spooked, I get spooked, ya hear."

"Loud and clear." Baldy said. Red dug in his pocket.

"Good now let's get out of here." Red pulled out a Redstone pendant that looked like a heart.

"No." Adam said under his breath. He had to do something. "Hey you!" Genius Adam…genius.

"What now?" Shorty said.

"It's just a kid." Baldy said.

"He's got a sword." Lug said. "Think he's a hunter?"

"Nah, too young." Red said. "Probably just some combat academy student."

"Get lost kid. This ain't none of yer business." Baldy said.

"The hell it ain't." Adam took his cap off and threw it at them.

"Yer a Faunas." Baldy said. "I don't recall seeing you."

"Good thing you didn't, otherwise you'd be missing teeth now instead of…I don't know…five, ten minutes' tops."

"God damn it kid this isn't…" Shorty started saying but as a Raven cawed on top of the building, Adam fired his weapon and charged. He grabbed the hilt of the sword as in bounced off Shorty's head. He took a swing at lug, knocking him over. He took a swing at Baldy next but the blade was stopped by Red pulling out a box knife.

"You've got moves kid." Red said. He kicked Adam in the stomach and sliced across his face but his aura stayed firm. He took a stance, sheathing his sword and preparing for a heavy strike. "Shit." Adam swung and Red barely dodged. "Red eyes huh…I wonder." He threw his heel into Adam's cheek. "And that technique." He threw an axe kick at Adam, but Adam managed to dodge.

Baldy threw a punch at him and he managed to deflect it. He took a chop at Baldy's arm and the strike hit off the other's aura. He was kicked from behind. They had surrounded him. They were beating on him trying to get him to fall down. Blake jumped on Baldy's back and tried choking him. Baldy ripped her off and punched her in the stomach.

"Blake!" Adam said.

"Hey you were at the rally." Baldy said in recognition.

"Get your big brother or something to beat us up?" Lug said.

"Leave her alone!" Adam lashed out with his aura, knocking Shorty down.

"Four on two." Red said. "But you're out of your league." In a flash Adam lunged at Red but missed the stab. Red was too light on his feet for an attack like that to work. But Adam didn't care. Baldy was hurting Blake. If he didn't do something they'd both get hurt. So he kept the lunge going right for Baldy's stomach. The blade pierced right through.

"Run Blake!" Adam said. Lug tried kneeing her in the stomach but something happened. The blow went through her and she was suddenly on the other side of the ally. "Run!" Blake didn't hesitate after that. She ran.

"You little brat." Red said. He kicked Adam in the back, grabbed him by the hair and slammed his face into the wall. "I may have hated him but he was still under my command. He wrapped his hand around Adam's throat. Lug and Shorty grabbed his weapon and helped hold him up in the air against the brick wall.

Adam tried kicking out with his feet. He was choking, his vision grew blurry. Everything was getting dark. He had killed one of them. He killed the one that hurt Blake. That's all that mattered in the beginning. He tried rationalizing it. It had been self-defense. He went there to teach them a lesson and took a beating. But now…now he was dying. And there wasn't anything anyone could do. Then, a bird cawed and the sound turned into a whistle just as the bird turned into a woman. Suddenly, Adam was back on the ground, the severed arm in front of him.

"Don't pass out on me yet." Raven said snidely as her fire sword cauterized Baldy's amputated stub. She kicked him in the stomach, grabbing the Redstone pendant. "Thanks for helping me find these bastards kid. Took me weeks to track this down." Lug freaked out while he and Shorty made a run for it. Nevermore turned into a raven and flew in front of them before changing back and striking them both with one swing of her oversized sheath. "And just where the hell do you think you two are going?"

"We don't want any trouble…" Shorty said.

"You bought trouble when your boss decided to steal from mine." She stabbed him through the stomach, causing him to pass out. They were all knocked out, all except the one Adam killed. "Three out of four isn't bad. It's still a C, which means Kraken owes me a drink." She opened up a portal with her sword. "Still, if I would have gotten all four then Beowulf was going to wear a dress." She threw Shorty into the portal. "Still, maybe I can pay Wasp to show me an accurate version of that image." She threw Baldy in the portal and kicked lug in. "Can't be helped."

"I'm fine by the way." Adam said.

"Yeah, I can see that." Nevermore said. "What do you expect a cookie."

"An explanation will suffice." Adam growled.

"Look kid, better if I showed you." She held up the heart pendant. "Looks like someone preset this bad boy to take these idiots to wherever their rendezvous was." She looked over to him. "Want a peak behind the curtain?" She slammed the heart down and it created a portal. "Come on in the Black Gate is fine."

Adam had traveled via Black Gate before. It was all part of her training regimen. Still, how she could do it with such ease amazed him. She was truly something else entirely. He wondered if she was the one that had those guys spooked. More likely it was her boss. Adam always had a hard time wrapping his head around the fact that Nevermore even had a boss. In his mind, no one could possibly be stronger than her.

"Where are we going?"

"Hell if I know." Nevermore said.

"How long will it take."

"Keep asking stupid questions and I will throw you out right now." Adam wondered if that was possible if this was preset. They dropped into the middle of a camp in God knows where. A second later, they were surrounded.

"What do we have here?" A man said. He looked to be wearing some kind of armor. There were two beside him wearing similar armor and masks.

"I take it you're the Cipher Commander." Nevermore stated.

"And you are an Arbiter." He said. "If you're looking for the Damocles Forge, you're much too late." He held a gun up to her.

"You think a little pea shooter is going to scare me?" Nevermore said. He shot right through her aura and through her side. She dropped to her knee.

"You tell me." He said. Nevermore cursed loudly as her aura healed the wound. "You think the Skull Kids are the only ones packing this kind of heat? You Arbiters claim to know everything, but we keep you…and everyone from having a monopoly on more interesting things."

"Well you better just kill me." She lunged with her moon slice. The Commander dodged the slash but was hit by the wave of energy that came from it. Adam jumped in and kicked one of his lieutenants in the face and slashed down on the other one, cutting his face. "Because I have killed for less."

"Then who will tell Avarice who has what he wants most?" He said motioning for his men to stand down. "Did you take Esau alive?"

"Who?" Nevermore asked. "If he was the bald guy then no."

"He has red hair."

"Then yes."

"Tango, Foxtrot, Homecoming, Winter, Puppet, Seeds, Silver, Cowl." He said. "Tell him these things and he'll tell you of the man who holds the key to Avarice's dream."

"Hmm." Nevermore contemplated. "Cipher…always talking in riddles. One of these days…I am going to kill you."

"You will try."

"Come Adam." She ordered and opened up a portal. "I'm keeping the Fall Heart by the way."

"It was never ours to keep…Raven." Cipher Commander said. Nevermore flinched at the calling of her name.

Adam was dropped off at his tent, a worried Blake waiting. Adam told her what happened, how Nevermore saved him. He didn't tell her the rest. It was obvious he just got a peak into why Nevermore wasn't there most days. He even learned her real name was Raven…fitting either way. Avarice must have quite the taste for poetry.

 **An: I think that was an interesting chapter. A bit of a look into Cipher, an idea I had a long time ago, before I started doing RWBYond. Their role in RWBYond Vale was mostly replaced by Necros Faust and the Skull Kids though. Oh well, maybe you'll see more of them later. Please review, follow and favorite.**


	4. Chapter 4

RWBYond Human

 **AN: We are once again half way through a story. Much like when I did my Cinder prequel, things kind of blend together for me here. I know how this is going to begin, but the beginning and ending of the next few chapters is still up in the air.**

Chapter 4: To Be

Sixteen-year-old Adam had just got done with some training with Blake. She was coming along nicely; maybe not as good as he was at that age, but he wasn't as good as Nevermore, so it all made sense. Blake was still getting the hang of the basics of aura control and how to manifest her semblance. Right now, two shadow copies were all she could handle before passing out. It was strange, he semblance was so much different than his or Nevermore's. He wasn't sure how best to help her improve. Maybe Nevermore would know. Maybe she could teach them both.

"I had fun." Blake said.

"It wasn't meant to be fun." Adam said. Blake rubbed the bruise on her arm, a memento of a failed block. "Sorry about that by the way."

"It couldn't be helped. I should be better at dodging by now."

"That's, not a good way of looking at it."

"Well what about you?" She cut in front of him. "I saw what you looked like after some of your training sessions. You looked like crap."

"Nevermore is a lot tougher of a teacher than I am. Besides, I can take a hit a lot better than most people." Their conversation was cut off when Noah stepped from his tent.

"Adam, can I have a word with you?" He asked.

"Ooh, you're in trouble." Blake said.

Adam stepped into the tent. There were a couple other people in their, most of them big enforcer types. One of them was a man, much younger than Noah, with a bald, horribly scarred head. He sat next to Noah and Shem, his right hand man. He gave a smile to Adam as he walked in.

"Have you met Ham, yet?" Noah asked.

"No I don't believe I have." Adam said. He shook Shem's hand.

"I run all the White Fang operations in Vacuo." Ham said as he shook Adam's hand.

"Pleasure to meet you." Adam said.

"Likewise, Noah has told me a bit about you." Ham said.

"Ham is here to discuss the leadership of the White Fang." Noah said. "As you know, I am the one who gave us this name, title and symbol. But I am just one man. So I have Shem handle all pressing matters here in Mistral, Ham handles matters in Vacuo, a man named Japheth runs our operations in Vale, we lack any substantial foothold in Atlas, and I manage the White Fang in its entirety."

"But you're getting old Noah." Ham said. "And frankly, your methods have gotten us nowhere."

"Which is why we have called you here Adam." Shem interrupted. "We know you love you…our people. We also know that you are incredibly strong, especially for someone of your age."

"The people here love and respect you Adam." Noah said. "When you have had ideas you have been outspoken…and the people have listened."

"What are you getting at?" Adam asked.

"Ham has made an excellent point." Shem said. "Many of us are also quite strong, at least as leaders. There are many here, like Ham, who fought in the Faunas Rights Revolution. But those of us with physical strength are too old to carry on."

"Our protests have been met with more and more violence." Ham cut straight to the point. "I proposed that we add a new branch of the White Fang, one with people who can defend the weaker amongst us during such attacks. One that can be split and deployed wherever it is needed."

"This…" Noah interrupted. "White Fang security force, will also reignite hope in our elders while inspiring new generations into action. This, on top of defending those of us who can't defend ourselves against police brutality and military might."

"We want you to be a part of this." Shem said. "You will be placed second in command at first. Your age and inexperience doesn't promote enough confidence to put you in charge. So in the meantime, you'll be working under Noir Parker."

"The legendary war hero?" Adam's face lit up. Noir Parker had been a commander in the Faunas forces. His tunneling semblance rescued thousands and led to the invasion of a dozen forts across the globe.

"Yes." Noah said. "Noir is a good friend of mine."

"Of all of us." Ham clarified. "So, do you accept?"

"I would be honored." Adam bowed.

"Good." Ham said. "I want you to assemble a team. They can be anything from advisors to strongmen, anyone that would benefit your new position and this new sub faction."

"Understood."

"You'll be traveling with me in the morning." Ham gave him a smile. "Until then, how would you like to have dinner with me…I feel there is much more to discuss."

"I'd be honored." Adam said.

As Adam went about the rest of his day, he contemplated the White Fang leadership. Shem, Ham and Japheth had all been leading White Fang organizations across the globe, under Noah's guidance. In the grand scheme of things, this cell was a small one. This made the Belladonnas second tier leaders. It also meant that they worked under Shem who worked under Noah.

Speaking of the Belladonnas, Blake was number one on his list of people he wanted to come with him. She was strong for her age. She could wield a weapon just fine and the fact that she could even use her semblance at all made her better than ninety percent of the people Adam knew.

"Mr. Belladonna." Adam said as he walked into their tent. "Can I speak with you for a moment."

"What is is Adam?" Mr. Belladonna asked.

Adam slowly explained his situation. He talked about how Ham wanted him to go to Vacuo and how Adam wanted Blake to go with him. Mr. Belladonna sat with ears perked when he heard who all was involved.

"I'll allow her to join you." Mr. Belladonna answered. "But be warned, Ham is a…passionate man. He is too prone to violence for my liking. I have tried to raise Blake to be a sweet yet strong woman. I don't want Ham's radicalism to change her from the path that she's chosen."

"I'll take care of her and make sure she doesn't have to deal with anything she can't handle." Adam said.

"Well if I understand correctly, you'll be traveling a lot." Mr. Belladonna said. "We'll probably see you often enough. Ham can't keep a group like this in Vacuo all to himself." He laughed. "I'll have to make sure that's the first thing I say when I tell the Mrs."

"Thank you sir…for everything." Adam bowed before he left. As he walked out of the tent, Blake was standing there.

"You didn't even think to ask me first?" Blake said.

"I knew you wouldn't turn down the opportunity."

"Well…you're right…but it's about the principle." Blake said.

"See you in the morning." Adam rubbed her head causing her to blush. There was something about her that made Adam feel warm inside. He guessed, that it was because she was the first person to admire him, and the only one to do so openly.

He walked into Ham's temporary tent. There was a map of Remnant and little else. Ham sat at a floor map with some food displayed.

"Greetings Adam Tauros." He said.

"Mr. Ham." Adam gave a bow.

"Have you assembled your team?"

"There's only one person I concerned myself with."

"Who might that be."

"Her name is Blake. She's just a child, but she's also my right hand girl as it is."

"This wouldn't be Blake Belladonna, would it?"

"You know her?"

"I know her parents. They're softies, like Noah."

"Blake's not that soft. She's a fighter. I think she gets it from spending time with me."

"And you are a fighter."

"I had…special training."

"From who? May I ask?"

"She's a huntress…or at least had huntress level training. To be honest, she never talks about her personal life."

"Ah a mysterious warrior that trains a kid. For what reason does she take the time?"

"Taking the time is a bit of a stretch." Adam took a bite out of some food and swallowed it. "Somedays she just shows up, trains with me alone for anywhere between an hour and a month strait…" So that month long thing only happened once. "Then she just drops me off and leaves." Adam took a drink of some milk. "It just happens randomly though. Like, I haven't seen her in six months. The longest it went between visits was nine months. But there was also a week where she showed up every day then disappeared for a month."

"Sounds like she's the kind of person that defies expectations on purpose."

"I guess. Hell, I don't even know her full name. Just that she goes by Nevermore but her first name is actually Raven."

"Raven? I wonder…does she have red eyes and black feathery hair?"

"Yes…do you know her?"

"I ran into someone like that during the Faunas War. I don't know why she would go by Nevermore now. She was a huntress, at least back then. Last I checked she vanished from the lives of her family and friends."

"She did? I guess that explains a little bit."

"Maybe she trains you to get rid of her homesickness so she doesn't crawl back to them. I don't know. I only know Raven by reputation. I will say, a Vytal Tournament champion IS about the best you can get as far as mentors go."

"Vytal Tournament? You mean the one that comes on every other year?"

"Yep, Raven won that her freshman year. She was only the second freshman to ever win the tournament. I may not be able to name all the champions in my life time, but that much is worth noting. Just like how you killing a Sarcosuchus with a stick was worth noting."

"Is that why you picked me?"

"I picked you because what I've heard about you pleases me. Tell me, do you think the White Fang is making headway?"

"Of course it is."

"Then we are treated more fairly now than ever?"

"Y…no we aren't…are we."

"Noah is too soft. A gentle hand is important for any kind of demonstration. The ability to sit down and be civil is vital for any group. But just like raising a kid, you need a sweet hand and a sour hand. I am that sour hand, Japheth and I both are while Noah and Shem are the sweet hands. But Noah has not allowed us to be sour. Adam, I need your help. There's a fire in your eyes, I can see it. We need something that can spark interest, get people talking about us instead of ignoring us. We need to be harsher to our critics and fight back instead of taking our lumps. That is why I am creating this security force. That is why I need your help. You know where the line is…between saving a life and taking it."

"What?"

"I know you've killed a man before. Many of us know this. We don't say anything though because even though we know killing is wrong…in that' situation it was right. You know better than anyone your age, how important that distinction is. In short, you are the only one who can do this."

 **An: Let the descent begin. The leaders of the White Fang are named after Noah and his three sons from the Bible. She, Ham and Japheth are also supposed to be the three leaders whose silhouettes we saw in Blake's flashback in Volume 1. As for Noah Parker, who will briefly be in next chapter, that was actually a throwaway name I made for a throwaway line in chapter 102 of RWBYond Vale, as one of only two people to have ever penetrated Ironwood's semblance. So, it's nice that this story called for someone like that and I had something like that in my previous story. Please review, follow, favorite and stay classy.**


	5. Chapter 5

RWBYond Human

 **AN: This is kind of the penultimate chapter where everything changes. This has a pretty emotional thing happen but at first glance it might not make sense but I'll do my best. I'll also be honest; I know this is probably the weakest story I've done. I just thought it would be interesting to look at things from this perspective, especially after how bad I crapped on Adam in my main story.**

Chapter 5: Human

Over the last year, Adam had been really busy. Adam thought being part of security would just be a bunch of posturing and glaring. But the White Fang had become more vocal, more prevalent. They finally had the attention of the media, and that caused some backlash. Faunas were being treated worse than ever by police and corporations. The Schnee Dust Company was busted in the midst of a labor scandal. The White Fang were fed up. And so Adam was forced to do something he should have regretted but didn't.

He was in Atlas, protesting the SDC for this controversy. Schnee sent out his own private security force to disperse the protestors. Schnee probably thought it would be easy. Adam thought it would be too. Adam believed that the protest would remain peaceful, that Schnee wouldn't want more of a controversy on his hands.

Adam didn't throw the first punch. Nor did he fire the first gun shot. But in a matter of minutes, all hell had broken loose. Olympus Plaza was in an all-out race war. Adam fought hard against the security drones, but there was just too many of them. Fists turned into clubs. Clubs turned into knives. Knives turned into guns. Guns turned into explosives. Adam hacked away at the Atlesian Knights easy enough, but the human enemies were a bit harder.

Adam had no idea who escalated things or how or why…if there was a why. All he knew was the here and now. He had sent Blake to get the Faunas citizens out of there. That was Blake's job, at least until she made herself an effective weapon instead of using dollar store junk.

As he saw a Faunas woman being beat unconscious by a soulless machine, Adam contemplated his role in the world. This was his fight. He could have easily joined Beacon or Haven and unchained himself from these duties. But it was clear in this moment, his fight, his enemy wasn't some nameless monster out in the woods somewhere. His fight, his enemy, was right here in the streets.

"Get out of here!" He told the woman as he hacked the drone's arm off. He helped her up and threw her into an ally where a couple other Faunas caught her and helped her out of the warzone.

Adam kept running through the plaza, dismantling any drone he came across. He disarmed police officers and soldiers alike. The whole damn Atlesian military was here. It seemed like there weren't any specialist sent in though. That was a relief. Huntsmen level agents being deployed to a place like this would be grounds for war. If nothing else, Vale, Vacuo and Mistral already disapproved of Atlas conscripting their Huntsmen into the military. They made it clear that using them as a display of tyrannical force would be grounds for war. Ozpin, General Ironwood, Headmistress April Odell and Headmistress Jade Darcy were all fine with using any other means to subdue citizens, especially Faunas citizens. They just wanted control over the exceptional warriors. Heaven forbid a huntsmen fight anything other than Grimm, except that happened all the time.

"Noor!" Adam cheered. He could see Noir in an armored car with a turret.

Suddenly the armored car flipped over. Something, or someone heavy, landed on the hood crushing it. The man was heavily armored with a heavy helmet that had a skull painted on it. He had some kind of contraption that went from each wrist to his elbows. He ripped Noah from his seat and held him up.

"Finally, a leader of the White Fang." He said. "Too bad you already look beat. I would have enjoyed fighting you for real." The contraption on his arm cocked backwards. "Oh well." The Skull Man punched Noah in the face. Some kind of sonic charge fired from the contraption as it shot up past his hand and collided with Noah's cheek. Noir's body went limp and his killer tossed the body aside.

Adam charged forward and slashed the man. His sword was blocked by the heavy armor. Adam sought to use speed to his advantage. He danced around the killer and quickly chipped away at his aura. But the man just stood there taking it, waiting for an opportunity. That opportunity came as Adam sidestepped in front of him. The man's hand shot forward, blasting Adam in the chest.

"Still alive huh." He said. "You must have quite the aura."

"What the hell is a specialist doing here?" There was no doubt about it. This man had huntsmen training.

"Your first mistake is assuming that." Adam unleashed a furious combination of slashes. Then, his blade was blocked and he was once again blasted by the weapon as it fired into his ribcage. This time Adam went through a window. "I'm a huntsman but I'm no soldier. I was hired by Schnee to make sure you animals scram for good."

"Screw you human." Adam leaped in the air and readied a downward slash.

"That's right…I am human, more human than you'll ever be." Adam's attack was caught by the man. "So why don't you run back home to Menagerie or better yet just die." Adam was blasted in the face twice. Then he was picked up and slammed through a brick wall. He was then dragged out and lifted into the air. Both the man's gauntlets fired into his torso launching him skyward.

"AH!" Adam screamed out in pain. He spat out blood as he drifted in the air and fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. He was then kicked in the face, forced to face upwards.

"You animals are a nuisance." The man taunted. "It's a huntsman's job to kill monsters. Well, I think this is good practice."

"I'm not the monster here!" Adam screamed out. He landed a slash on the man's throat, underneath the helmet, but it wasn't enough against his aura.

"Your presence is just going to start a war." He was kicked in the stomach again, this time hitting a lamppost.

"So be it." Adam fired his gun into the man's face, giving him pause. Adam used the energy he had gathered to cut the man's head off. The blow failed, and only barely sliced through the helmet.

"You want to fight in a war?" He was kicked in the chest. His aura hit critical limits. His vision was all blurry. But atop the building, Adam saw something he wished he hadn't. One of Raven's portals disappearing.

"Raven?" Adam muttered.

"On your feet soldier." The man said sarcastically. He grabbed Adam by the collar and hoisted him up into the air. "You're probably asking yourself, 'why did it come to this?' Well to answer your question, you were cursed into a race that breeds chaos and destruction." He removed his helmet to reveal a horribly scarred face. "From the time you animals started worshipping Grimm on Menagerie all the way up until the Faunas War. You lot never cared for peace." He raised his fist to finish Adam off.

"Then end it."

"With pleasure." Just then, bullets ricocheted off his armor. Blake was brandishing her pistol, tears in her eyes. She had her mother's ribbon tied around her ears. More pressingly, there was blood on her clothes, and a scrap of bloody cloth stuck to her neck. She was choked up and couldn't say a word. So she kept firing the gun, backing away a few steps with every bullet.

"Blake." Adam reached out.

"I'm not going to kill kids, Faunas or otherwise." The man said. "But you…you asked for this."

"ADAM!" Blake screamed and squeezed her eyes shut. She curled into a ball. Adam couldn't leave her. Not now. Adam reached for his anything he could grab. He ended up grabbing the mans face and gouged out his eyes. He scrambled to grab his weapon off the ground and without thinking, he did it. He performed Nevermore's death move. The moon slice cut through the man's unarmored throat and his head went rolling. Adam started stumbling towards Blake. Then everything faded to black.

When he woke up he was once again in his tent. Blake was by his side, chewing on her nails and reading a book. Adam felt bruised all over. He could barely move. But he could hear Ham's voice in the distance.

"What happened?" Adam asked.

"Adam." Blake wrapped her arms around him.

"Ow." He groaned. Blake started crying.

"They're all dead." She sniffed out. "Mom…Dad…Noir…I thought I lost you too."

"I guess I'm not easy to kill." Adam tried laughing. Blake jerked away from him.

"You…you killed a man."

"He was going to kill me." Adam argued.

"Like the first one?"

"No." Adam admitted. "I knew exactly what I was doing this time. It was still self-defense, even more so this time. But it wasn't an accident. It was him or me."

"I…I understand."

"So what's Ham talking about?"

"Noah is stepping down from leadership. He's handing it over to Ham. He said that he couldn't handle it anymore. Not after what happened."

Adam stepped outside. He paid his respect to the Faunas who lost their lives in the mindless bloodshed. He made his way to Ham, who was hanging up his new banner for the White Fang. The white circle was gone and replaced by three red streaks that went through the now red emblem.

"So you're the leader now?" Adam said.

"Yes." Ham said bitterly. "And I need your help more than ever. Naturally you will be put in charge of our security force. But you'll be more important now. The Schnees and those like them want a war. We'll give them one. We'll hit them where it hurts. No more playing by Noah's rules. Now it's our turn. Will you stand with me, as the strongest warrior in the White Fang?"

"Of course." Adam said.

"We'll need a bit of rebranding." Ham said. "Sadly, Japheth is the one with all the good ideas. But he's all the way in Vale."

"I have an idea for our security force."

"Shoot."

"Grimm masks." Adam said. Just like Nevermore. Last time he saw her for training, he had asked her why she wore the mask. She gave some practical reasons, but one of the more symbolic reasons resonated with him. Her, and her group, should they be exposed, would be revealed as monsters in their own right. They wear masks as a symbol of this cold truth. Right now, that resonated with him.

"Interesting idea."

"That man, he called us monsters and Grimm worshippers." Adam turned his back. "Humanity wants to make us out, and treat us like monsters. We'll give them monsters."

"I like your way of thinking." Ham applauded.

"It's a simple fact that's clear to me now. Nothing will change unless we're willing to stand our ground and fight. That is why my place is here and not at an academy."

"It's good to have you on board as always." Ham gave him a smile.

 **An: Thus, a monster was born. Very, very, subtle thing in this chapter, the man that Adam fought was in RWBYond Vale. Neither instance gave him a name, but he's supposed to be the guy that Penny fought while Weiss was fighting Chrome Blackwater. In my notes I just call him Crossbones because that's who he's based on. There was also going to be a bit where Noah got killed, then I remembered Blake saying in volume 1 that the previous leader stepped down. Please REVIEW.**


	6. Chapter 6

RWBYond Human

 **AN: Before I get started, there's a poll on my profile for favorite RWBYond Villain. If you read RWBYond Vale, I'd like you to leave a vote. There's only two chapters left in this story, and both of them are going to be short (well under 2000 words). For that reason, I've decided to make another chapter for RWBYond Happily Ever After for the same day as the last chapter in this story.**

Chapter 6: Can Someone

Blake was fiddling around with Gambol Shroud. She made the weapon just a year ago and she was still getting the hang of how to handle the flail. Adam liked the weapon, it was unique. Not like Adam's Wilt and Blush. Adam had to admit that her weapon was much more diverse. She could use it like a pistol, a flail, a simple sword or duel blades by using its unique sheath.

Adam was in a reserved state. He spun his mask around in his hand. He wondered what Nevermore would think. The last time he spoke to her had not been pleasant. It wasn't her that had left him alone back in Atlas. She wasn't sure who would have been using a Black Gate portal there at that time. But she did know what was happening. She could have intervened but didn't. It wasn't her fight. Adam was furious about that, even now. It was clear that these Arbiters, whoever they were, didn't care about Faunas rights. If it wasn't Nevermore's fight than her Arbiter business wasn't his.

So they had parted ways. Adam gave up the Redstone Omega Strain. Thus, he severed their bond as master and apprentice. He was his own man now. Adam couldn't see her reaction beneath the mask, but the way she worded it, she seemed proud. Her last words were "To be honest with oneself...And do everything to gain that which you desire. That is what it means to be an Arbiter."

So in her eyes, maybe, he was still an Arbiter. Even if he refused to join their group, Nevermore didn't regret training him. At least that's what Adam thought about it anyway. He had his own passions, his own responsibilities. The White Fang were getting stronger. They were no longer being pushed around and ignored. And Adam was a major reason for that. Maybe that's what Nevermore was proud of.

"Adam." Blake said as she took a seat next to him. She was his partner and subordinate in all this. There was no one else he would rather be with in a fight. They had already gone on a dozen missions together. Sometimes they would just patrol the camp and kill any Grimm that got too close. Sometimes they would stand and look tough at a rally. Other times they would do something a little more illegal.

"What is it?" Adam asked.

"Do…do you think we're still doing the right thing?" She asked.

"What makes you say that?"

"The last mission you…"

"It was an accident." Adam lamented killing the man. But he also didn't care all that much. He was a thug hired by the SDC anyway.

"I know but…people have been hurt every time we fight."

"That's what happens in a fight. People get hurt." Adam said with a sigh.

"I guess you're right." Blake gave him a smile.

"Hey, let's get something to eat." He said poking her on the forehead. Adam enjoyed the fact that neither one of them were much for conversation. They could just sit and relax in each other's company.

"Can I go take a bath first?"

"Of course." Adam said with a cool smile. As she walked away, Adam could have sworn she added an extra sway to her hips. Adam shook the thought from his head. Not that he didn't find Blake attractive but, she was like a sister to him.

Adam walked around the camp some more and talked with some of the other people. Perry and Terrain were playing checkers over my one of the tables. Adam took a seat next to them, careful not to have his leg too close to Terrain's chainsaw.

"Evening Adam." Perry said as he adjusted his glasses.

"Any plans tonight?" Terrain asked.

"Blake's taking a bath and then we're going to grab some dinner." Adam answered. "After that I have no idea."

"Well it's our turn to patrol the grounds tonight." Perry said. "We'd like you to come along."

"I'll think about it." Adam knew they didn't need him. But it could be very boring around the camp. Adam continued conversing with them about games and current events. Adam checked his scroll to see what was taking Blake so long. Then when she showed up, he could see why.

"You ready to go?" She asked. She was wearing normal clothes, but this time she was also wearing makeup. She had purple eyeliner that complimented her golden eyes. Adam took a second to take it all in. Apparently he took too long because Blake blushed a little bit.

"Yeah." He said as he stood up. The dinner was enjoyable. They got some fresh fish from a fry cook that stayed in the White Fang camp. Apparently he was one of Blake's favorite people, aside from Adam and that bookkeep that stayed in Vale.

"Adam." Blake said towards the end of the meal. "Do you ever…think about us?"

"I think about us a lot." Adam answered. "We're partners. We see each other every day. You're an excellent fighter. Maybe you'll even surpass me one day."

"I doubt that. You're naturally suited for fighting. I'm suited for hit and run guerilla warfare."

"Well, all the strength in the world doesn't mean squat against something like the Atlas Military or the thousands of Huntsmen patrolling the world."

"You're right…But…that isn't what I meant." They were standing up to leave now.

"Then what do you mean?" Just then she stood on her toes and kissed him on the lips. The kiss only lasted a few seconds. But it was enough for the flood gates of emotions to crack and splinter to cause the feelings to wash over Adam.

"I've basically had a crush on you since I was a little girl." Blake said as they parted. She had a hand around the back of his neck.

"I…" Adam was at a loss for words. He had never thought about that before. But if he had…there were literally no other women in his life.

"I know you care for me a lot. Maybe you love me. If there is anyone you love that is." Blake could see right through him. So he leaned down and kissed her for himself. She easily accepted the kiss and ran her hands through his hair.

Adam and Blake walked around in the woods, arms linked. This time they talked about all the things they've been through together. Adam felt dumb for not realizing his own feelings sooner. At least Blake had been purposely hiding her feelings until recently. They ended up in Adam's tent, kissing each other and getting a little more handsy as time went on.

They ended up sleeping together. The cuddled up together the entire night and basked in how warm each other's skin was. Adam couldn't be any happier. And seeing how much Blake yelped in joy and moaned in pleasure, it was probably one of her favorite nights too.

 **An: Really short chapter I know. But I just didn't have the drive for this chapter like I have with other chapters. This is the romance chapter and as someone who really doesn't like these two together like this, it just wasn't fun. Taurodonna shippers eat your heart out. The rest of us BlackSun shippers will be doing our own thing. As for you Bumblebee shippers, well, I don't really like you anyway. This is my least favorite chapter since the Shiro fight back in RWBYond Vale. Review, follow and favorite.**


	7. Chapter 7

RWBYond Human

 **AN: So this is the last chapter in RWBYond Human. I know it's not my finest work, so thank you to the people who have read all the way through. Later today there will also be another chapter in RWBYond Happily Ever After, just to lighten my mood.**

Chapter 7: Help Me?

It had been two years since Adam and Blake had started seeing each other romantically. Adam was on cloud nine anytime she was with him. No matter how far he had descended these last few years, no matter how much blood was on his hands now, she stuck with him. How she put up with him, he would never know. She was his anchor. She kept him in reality. She kept him honest and strong. She was the angel on his shoulder. She was his voice of reason.

But Adam knew she was getting distant. The fact that she wasn't here at his side right now was proof of that. Adam had to focus, which was increasingly hard when he had to balance his plans and passion for the White Fang with his relationship with Blake.

Crippling the SDC establishment here in Vale could do the trick. Any time he caused the SDC misery brought a smile to his face. Those bastards had cost Blake her family. They had cost the Faunas their standing in society. They treated the Faunas like mutts and were very territorial in Atlas. To this day, the White Fang was almost nonexistent in Atlas, which was a discouraging thought when Adam considered their Faunas populace.

"Hey boss, I brought you those maps you wanted." Tucson said.

"Set them right here." Adam said. Tucson ran a book store in downtown Vale. He had one of the most impressive collection of books in the world. "Home to every book under the sun." He said. How he had come into such a fortune was beyond Adam. Word was, he inherited it because he was the only employee when the previous owner was.

Adam looked at the maps. Architecture, roads, any kind of human structure, was dictated by the presence of Grimm. Natural vantage points and defendable locations became as valuable as air. So, any secret railway, had to be built with these things in mind. Even with huntsmen support, these excursions were costly, dangerous and difficult to maintain.

They had a reliable source on one of these railways going through Forever Fall. These maps laid the key to cutting the train off and destroying, or confiscating, its cargo. With that much dust they could survive for years and cost the SDC millions.

"Are you sure about this?" Tucson asked.

"Yes I am." Adam said.

"About the mission I know." Tucson said. "But what if you run into huntsmen?"

"The SDC doesn't want anyone to know about this train so they'll be keeping the staff to a minimum. Huntsmen are loose cannons at the best of times and can't be trusted. If they have someone they trust though, I'll deal with them. It wouldn't be the first."

"How did we find out that this train exists?" Tucson asked.

Adam didn't answer. He just gave a bit of a growl. He didn't want to explain how he had captured a member of the Schnee family and tortured the information out of him.

"Never mind." Tucson said petulantly. "Probably better off not knowing anyway."

"Any word on Japheth?" Adam asked about the Vale branch leader.

"He told me he's taking some time off on the island of Patch."

"Hmmm, I suppose with him absent…I'll have to stay in the area and await his return before I go back to Mistral."

"I don't know." Tucson huffed. "It's your choice…you are the boss after all."

Adam nodded assuredly. He saw a particular ridge. It was a pretty stable hill if the books and maps were reliable. There was a natural passage right at the bottom. If Adam was building a track, he would use the hill as a natural border.

"Terrain." Adam called out.

"Yes sir." Terrain said stepping in. Adam handed him the marked map.

"Investigate this ridge for any tracks."

"Yes sir." Terrain gave a salute.

"Hey, I'm heading back to Vale." Tucson said. "I got a long day at the shop tomorrow."

"See you around." Adam said.

"Bye." Blake said as she walked past him.

"Oh Blake." Adam turned around and smoothed out his hair. He probably did not look cool right now.

"Are you coming to bed?" Blake asked.

"I'll be there in a minute." Adam turned back. "I think I found where the train is coming through."

"I hope you have a better plan than jump on and blow it up."

"I'm not sure I do."

"Well at least have a couple of us go."

"Too dangerous for anyone else." Adam said. "Besides, you…me…fighting side by side, it'll be an adventure."

"Hmm, or a date." Blake said dispondantly.

"Something bothering you?" Adam could see it on her face.

"No it's just…I don't know, I'm tired." She walked over to him. "So I'm going to bed. Try not to make too much noise when you come in." She kissed him, but there was no joy in the kiss. Was she bored with him? No, maybe she was so comfortable around him that she didn't bother impressing him?

"Good night…my love." Adam shook the doubts from his head. No room for that when he was in the midst of forming a new plan.

The next day had gone by uneventfully at first. The tracks were exactly where Adam had predicted. Everything was in motion. Now he just needed to make sure that he and Blake were fully rested when the train arrived the next morning.

And then they came. Three humans, two women one man, came into his encampment. They made introductions. They were freedom fighters from Mistral. They had help finding this place from a mutual associate. They promised a better, united humanity, whatever that meant. They promised the fires of revolution and were willing to pay any price.

"I extend this offer to you, as the leader of the White Fang's more…militant branch." The leader, Cinder had cooed. There was something about her. She looked somewhat like Blake, with amber eyes and dark hair. But her tone was like that as a seductress, a siren luring him in. But her tone, intentional or not, was condescending.

Adam contemplated her offer for half a second. The revolution part sounded nice. The promise of equality was enticing. Then Adam realized, that they were just promises. If they went along with this, they would be the ones being used.

"So let me get this straight…" Adam responded.

 **An: And thus takes us into his scene from RWBY volume 3 Chapter 7 "Destiny." Also, ties back in nicely with RWBYond Destiny, which is way more awesome than this. I hope you enjoyed the story. I wish I enjoyed it more. But, starting tomorrow I begin RWBYond Hope, which is 25 chapters of Ruby's life, as well as a couple chapters obviously dedicated to the most important part of her life. Please review, follow and favorite.**


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